Service Truck

[Graphics Gnome 3]

Not sure what i should charge for the graphics or the Installation.

I am in Alaska where I had to keep the vehicle indoors over night before application.

The truck was filthy and had to wash it again indoors.

Took me 13hrs to install both sides and back

Used twice as much vinyl as it should have because of my static issues.

Proof of what the sides would look like.

proof of the back

Here is the actual finished install

12x18 print out taped to door to give some perspective

[Jay2703 704]

Did you come up with the design too? It looks really great.

[Graphics Gnome 3]

Thank you, and yes.

[mabscotthandyman 1,410]

I would be at about $1450..00 or so for oracal 751 for

3m premium cast about$1700.00

Dan

[Graphics Gnome 3]

So do I price per sq ft and have it high enough per sq ft to include install? Do I charge sq ft and charge per hour for instal? Do I charge for cleaning?

40 sq ft of Blue

16 sq ft of Orange

2 sq ft of yellow

8 sq ft of silver

26 hrs to cut the vinyl, Static issues used double the above vinyl calculations because the cutter would stop or cut large z or skip parts of the design.

took 3 of us 15hrs to clean and install the vinyl.

[Graphics Gnome 3]

i used Avery HP700 & Avery SC 900 - Pantone 877 silver

[eashonk 24]

you people are crazy. yes, it looks good, yes it took you a long time, yes you used twice as much vinyl because of static, but your price is crazy.

the customer doesn't care that it took you WAAAAAYYYY longer to install than it should have, and that you had static issues, those are your problems, not his, he doesn't want to pay you to make mistakes or be slow. If I took 13 hours to install that job, my old boss would've been all over my ass. And, if you're charging upwards of $1400 for that, don't be surprised if you never see that customer again, no matter how good it looks.

[mabscotthandyman 1,410]

That wasn't graphic gnomes price that is what I said I would be at . I use quality material on all my jobs and guess what all my business is return customers and referrals from them that is true in any one of my businesses and I have not advertised since 1998 so that blows your reasoning out the window .

Dan

[mopar691 281]

you people are crazy. yes, it looks good, yes it took you a long time, yes you used twice as much vinyl because of static, but your price is crazy.

the customer doesn't care that it took you WAAAAAYYYY longer to install than it should have, and that you had static issues, those are your problems, not his, he doesn't want to pay you to make mistakes or be slow. If I took 13 hours to install that job, my old boss would've been all over my ass. And, if you're charging upwards of $1400 for that, don't be surprised if you never see that customer again, no matter how good it looks.

No way would I ever touch that for less than 1450. Lots of material and lots of time. Pretty much full coverage and it is half the cost of a wrap at that price and twice the work.

Why would you suggest to give it away? Not sure of your market location but I do not know anywhere that would charge less unless it is a low ball hack shop using off-brand ebay materials that will fall off in 3 weeks.

[Graphics Gnome 3]

The numbers in the post is how much vinyl I actually used on the truck not counting the vinyl I wasted. This is a BIG truck it is over 9ft 9inches tall.

UPDATE I delivered a bill for $1626 and they were very happy with the price. They actually are purchasing another service truck and want the same thing on it when it arrives along with 2 sets of 24"x18" Magnetic signs for their utility vans because they are used for their other businesses.

66sq ft X $11/sq ft. = $726 for the material

3 guys @ 15hrs x $60/hr Install. = $900 Labor (added the 2 hours it took to clean the truck.)

I also edge sealed everything.

I live in Alaska where anything you buy comes with a $100+ shipping cost. I think the price is more than fair considering all the time & materials put into it.

Another shop quoted $2400 to do the job based off my proofs and $4500 for a wrap.

[vinylmotivations 143]

$1650 is a drop in the bucket for what those service vans cost. I am a technician for Muzak and our standard E150 series vans START at just under 50k here in the Midwest with cabinets and a ladder rack. Imagine a custom back end like that one has....

[eashonk 24]

I just can't get past the labor cost you claim, the edge sealing does take forever, so maybe where that's where you are getting most of the hours, but I have done bigger projects with much more intricate stacking and just as much measuring in half the time by myself. did you cut everything separate and them measure it all to get it lined up on the truck? I tend to waste a little vinyl to save myself time and headaches in the end, that's just how I work, maybe you don't see the benefit, but if you can do another install that day, instead of just one, you make twice as much, even if you waste a little vinyl to speed the process up.

and no, I am not a hack who buys supplies off of e-bay, I have degrees in both industrial technology and graphic arts, own (not lease, not bought on credit) all of my equipment, and have a room in my house for sign making, another for screen printing, another for large format printing, and woodworking equipment in the basement. I don't have any overhead, don't advertise, make what I want when I want, and if someone wants to pay me to do something, I might do it if i feel like it, when I have time. If I wanted to open a shop, I could, but then, my hobby becomes a job and it is no longer fun.

[mopar691 281]

My equipment is my equipment also. But I do my work at market value and I make my living at it. If it is your hobby and you are selling products to customers then it becomes a job and not a hobby anymore. Or am I wrong?

Furthermore if you are selling at way under market value then yes you are a underbidding hack who is not getting correctly paid for your work or craftsmanship and undermining the pricing of this industry. Even if you are great and offer the best products why not get what it is worth?? I do not care if you were superhuman and could of installed this in 20 min, that still does not justify doing this for nothing or just basing this job on the price of the material applied on the vehicle.

I am not going to comment anymore cause I really dont understand how people can do things like this for half or less of half of what should be charged.

You also speak of no overhead?? what about the 30k plus you have in equipment? maintenance on said equipment? There is a lot of overhead there just in upkeep of the machines and printers still cost money (even more so when not printing daily in the long run) sitting there idle cause your choosing not to do the work.

[mabscotthandyman 1,410]

I just can't get past the labor cost you claim, the edge sealing does take forever, so maybe where that's where you are getting most of the hours, but I have done bigger projects with much more intricate stacking and just as much measuring in half the time by myself. did you cut everything separate and them measure it all to get it lined up on the truck? I tend to waste a little vinyl to save myself time and headaches in the end, that's just how I work, maybe you don't see the benefit, but if you can do another install that day, instead of just one, you make twice as much, even if you waste a little vinyl to speed the process up.

and no, I am not a hack who buys supplies off of e-bay, I have degrees in both industrial technology and graphic arts, own (not lease, not bought on credit) all of my equipment, and have a room in my house for sign making, another for screen printing, another for large format printing, and woodworking equipment in the basement. I don't have any overhead, don't advertise, make what I want when I want, and if someone wants to pay me to do something, I might do it if i feel like it, when I have time. If I wanted to open a shop, I could, but then, my hobby becomes a job and it is no longer fun.

from your post on here looks like you activley seek out work . there have been several post asking for quotes for printing you have responded to. So if you are that cheap maybe i will pm you next printing i need

[Graphics Gnome 3]

I have a prime downtown Anchorage location for my shop I pay $1650/month for 1600/sq ft.(which is a great deal) I am not working out of my basement or closet. This isn't a hobby this is my livelihood. This is a for profit business with overhead. This is a business that has been around since 1957 with a loyal client base. I purchased the company just over a year ago and I am expanding to include more services other than just custom engraved signs and rubber stamps.

Even @ $1626 I think I left quite a bit of money on the table.

Did it take more time than it should have? — Probably.

DId I charge them for all of the time I put into it? — Not even close.

Am I the cheapest in town? — Probably not.

I didn't even charge them for set up or artwork. I probably should have. Again not sure how to value that either.

I can tell ya there wasn't a single bubble in the vinyl when we got done. Everything was level and centered.

I take pride in the work I put out and I believe there is value in that. Just not sure what that value is sometimes...

[smallTIMER 21]

Looks Great. Pricing is fair too

[mr300s 1,272]

Very nice work

[BrianMaruska 12]

As long as you are happy with what you are charged and can make some money on the next install, I would say you did fine regardless of what anybody else says. If you are getting some repeat business out of the deal, more power to you! Install looks great and those graphics fit on there nicely.

Good work!

[acandlestory 1]

Look good!

[motoxchic 33]

That truck looks GREAT! Love the graphics. I am new at the vinyl stuff, so I cant comment on the price, but it looks awesome, and if your customer is happy, that is what counts!

[bayshorecreations 30]

I think about $1400-$1600 is right on the mark for that job.

[taskforce4u 8]

I think it looks great, and honestly the price for what you have on there and the amount of letter seemed fair to me. The best part is that the customer was happy. Good job!